New Bam City in 2017?
CHICAGO — New York might not get President Obama’s library but could do even better — it could get him.
Several longtime Obama friends in Chicago said Friday that virtually nobody believes the Obamas will return to Chicago, where they still own a home, once the President leaves office in January 2017.
Instead, insiders believe the First Couple will head to the corporate and media capital of the country — New York — while spending more time in the President’s native state of Hawaii.
Speculation remains rampant as to whether New York or Chicago will get the presidential library. A decision is expected soon after the April 7 runoff election in Chicago where Mayor Rahm Emanuel, a former Obama top aide who wants the library badly, faces a serious challenge from Jesus (Chuy) Garcia.
Competition between New York and Chicago for the library has been vigorous, but it remains close to unimaginable to Obama confidants that Chicago won’t get it.
They see leaks about New York’s growing chances as partly designed to make sure Chicago steps up with an appropriate site and financial commitments.
While Columbia University owns the land it’s offering for the library, the University of Chicago does not. However, recent moves by the Chicago City Council have lessened doubts about the Second City proposal.
And even if Emanuel loses, Obama friends said Friday that his opponent is now on board.
“If they took it somewhere else after a Garcia victory, it would look like a sour-grapes move,” said one longtime friend.
Obama graduated from Columbia in 1983, and his daughter Malia has recently visited Barnard College as a potential university choice.
But Buzzfeed, which quoted an Obama insider Friday as saying the move to New York was “real,” also quoted former presidential aide Reggie Love as speculating that the Obamas will remain in Washington until younger daughter Sasha graduates from high school in 2019.